I visited several spots along the Patuxent River in southern Prince
George's County this afternoon.  Highlights included 2 Vesper Sparrows in
one of the hedgerows at Milltown Landing.  This is the same hedgerow which
had several Vesper Sparrows during a fall Patuxent Bird Club/PG Audubon
Society trip last fall.  Also present were four or five Savannah Sparrows,
3 Song Sparrows, and many, many singing Field Sparrows.  Also heard in a
scrubby area was my first White-eyed Vireo of the season.

Also at Milltown Landing, there were 17 Double Crested Cormorants on the
Patuxent, a flyover immature Bald Eagle, a Red-tailed Hawk hunting the
fields, and several Towhees.  One Barn Swallow was also seen near the water.

Mount Calvert had several Greater Yellowlegs, over 10 Forster's Terns,
nesting Osprey, singing Chipping Sparrows, 3 Wood Ducks, and many Ring-
billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls.  I had hoped to find a spring Franklin's
Gull, but saw none.

Merkle was fairly slow, but the pond behind the visitor's center had
several Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and some Tree Swallows.  Nearer to the
building there were Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrows, 1 White-throated Sparrow,
and another flyover immature Bald Eagle.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS